Can't remove dual boot

R

Roger Navarre

I attempted to install Windows on to a CD a while back. While booted on my
XP Media Edition laptop I ran XP install and requested that it install XP
onto the CD. Rather than telling me that I could not do that, it went ahead
and copied all the programs to the CD. In the end, of course, it did not
work, BUT it made the new CD installation my default windows install. When
I boot my computer I am given the choice to boot on either the "Windows
Default" which does not work, or my original XP Media Edition install. If I
do nothing, it loops forever trying to boot from the default system that
does not exist. I want to remove this dual boot from my system and make my
Media Edition install the default.

I tried going into the System Properties and set my Windows XP Media Center
Edition as the defult startup, but that does not change the behavior.

If I look at the boot.ini file, it only shows my Media Center Edition (as
the default) and the Recovery Console. Yet when I boot, I get three
choices: 1) The Media Center Edition, 2) The "Default" system that does not
exist, and 3) The Recovery console.

I tried using the recovery console and ran fixmbr, I get that warning that
says I may destroy the integrity of my disk partitions, so I'm afraid to
proceed.

Can anyone help? I'd like to be able to reboot without having to select the
working system each time.

Thanks,
Roger
 
W

Wesley Vogel

Check All Boot Paths

Start | Run | Type: msconfig | Click OK |
Boot.ini tab | Check All Boot Paths button |
A dialog box will open detailing the location of any invalid operating
system locations | Confirm you want to remove an entry and reboot

[[Check All Boot Paths - This button will check the boot paths for all
operating systems listed in the BOOT.INI to ensure they point to a valid
operating system. ]]

Msconfig image
http://www.winnetmag.com/Files/16/20784/msconfig.gif

If there is only one you will get:
It appears that all BOOT.INI lines for Microsoft operating systems are OK.

Ignore the message about the Recovery Console, if you want to keep that as a
choice.

--
Hope this helps. Let us know.

Wes
MS-MVP Windows Shell/User

In
 
R

Roger Navarre

Thanks for the suggestion. Msconfig only reported the Recovery Console as
being "invalid". I ignored that.

That's essentially my problem. Boot.ini has no reference to the "phantom"

CD operating system, but when I boot my system, I get the 3 choices I
mentioned below. What is most frustrating is that the "CD" operating system
is the default system, and if I do nothing, it continually loops, trying to
boot off of the non-existent system.

I'm guessing that fixmbr is my only hope, but, as I said, I'm afraid I'll
mess up my partition settings.

Any other thoughts?

Thanks,

Roger Navarre

Wesley Vogel said:
Check All Boot Paths

Start | Run | Type: msconfig | Click OK |
Boot.ini tab | Check All Boot Paths button |
A dialog box will open detailing the location of any invalid operating
system locations | Confirm you want to remove an entry and reboot

[[Check All Boot Paths - This button will check the boot paths for all
operating systems listed in the BOOT.INI to ensure they point to a valid
operating system. ]]

Msconfig image
http://www.winnetmag.com/Files/16/20784/msconfig.gif

If there is only one you will get:
It appears that all BOOT.INI lines for Microsoft operating systems are OK.

Ignore the message about the Recovery Console, if you want to keep that as
a
choice.

--
Hope this helps. Let us know.

Wes
MS-MVP Windows Shell/User

In
Roger Navarre said:
I attempted to install Windows on to a CD a while back. While booted on
my XP Media Edition laptop I ran XP install and requested that it install
XP onto the CD. Rather than telling me that I could not do that, it went
ahead and copied all the programs to the CD. In the end, of course, it
did not work, BUT it made the new CD installation my default windows
install. When I boot my computer I am given the choice to boot on either
the "Windows Default" which does not work, or my original XP Media
Edition install. If I do nothing, it loops forever trying to boot from
the default system that does not exist. I want to remove this dual boot
from my system and make my Media Edition install the default.

I tried going into the System Properties and set my Windows XP Media
Center Edition as the defult startup, but that does not change the
behavior.

If I look at the boot.ini file, it only shows my Media Center Edition (as
the default) and the Recovery Console. Yet when I boot, I get three
choices: 1) The Media Center Edition, 2) The "Default" system that does
not exist, and 3) The Recovery console.

I tried using the recovery console and ran fixmbr, I get that warning
that
says I may destroy the integrity of my disk partitions, so I'm afraid to
proceed.

Can anyone help? I'd like to be able to reboot without having to select
the working system each time.

Thanks,
Roger
 

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